Religious communities have been a challenge to HIV prevention globally. Focusing on the acceptability component of the right to health, this intervention study examined how local Catholic, Evangelical and Afro-Brazilian religious communities can collaborate to foster young people`s sexual health and ensure their access to comprehensive HIV prevention in their communities in Brazil. This article describes the process of a three-stage sexual health promotion and HIV prevention initiative that used a multicultural human rights approach to intervention. Methods included 27 in-depth interviews with religious authorities on sexuality, AIDS prevention and human rights training of 18 young people as research-agents, who surveyed 177 youth on the same issues using self-administered questionnaires. The results, analysed using a rights-based perspective on health and the vulnerability framework, were discussed in daylong interfaith workshops. Emblematic of the collaborative process, workshops are the focus of the analysis. Our findings suggest that this human rights framework is effective in increasing inter-religious tolerance and in providing a collective understanding of the sexuality and prevention needs of youth from different religious communities...

Em 10 de março de 1762, o protestante Jean Calas, suposto assassino de seu filho, sofre o suplício da roda após um julgamento espúrio do Parlamento de Toulouse. Voltaire assume as rédeas do caso. Para ele tratava-se de um crime motivado pelo fanatismo religioso, algo impensável em pleno século das Luzes. Por meio do estudo de um conjunto de cartas redigidas em defesa da reabilitação de Jean Calas, interessa discutir como Voltaire conduziu a "guerra" pelo advento da Razão. Descobre-se, à medida que se avança, desde as manobras nos bastidores à eloqüência do advogado em suas denúncias, o que ele denominou de "crime contra o gênero humano". Pretende-se mostrar, igualmente, as astúcias do texto voltairiano para atrair leitores de diferentes esferas sociais. Nesta tese, trata-se de questionar como o Autor prepara o terreno para a divulgação de seu livro Traité sur la tolérance (1763), arma decisiva contra os autodenominados seguidores de Cristo. Nessa obra compósita, analisam-se as variadas formas discursivas utilizadas por Voltaire para convencer o leitor de que os dogmas e as superstições não passam de criações humanas. Perguntamo-nos quais características, no conjunto desses textos, o autor privilegia a fim de conferir brilho à batalha contra o obscurantismo...

Religious communities have been a challenge to HIV prevention globally. Focusing on the acceptability component of the right to health, this intervention study examined how local Catholic, Evangelical and Afro-Brazilian religious communities can collaborate to foster young people’s sexual health and ensure their access to comprehensive HIV prevention in their communities in Brazil. This article describes the process of a three-stage sexual health promotion and HIV prevention initiative that used a multicultural human rights approach to intervention. Methods included 27 in-depth interviews with religious authorities on sexuality, AIDS prevention and human rights, and training 18 young people as research-agents, who surveyed 177 youth on the same issues using self-administered questionnaires. The results, analysed using a rights-based perspective on health and the vulnerability framework, were discussed in daylong interfaith workshops. Emblematic of the collaborative process, workshops are the focus of the analysis. Our findings suggest that this human rights framework is effective in increasing inter-religious tolerance and in providing a collective understanding of the sexuality and prevention needs of youth from different religious communities...

In the European integration process, the European Union continues to struggle for an identity that can generate widespread support amongst its peoples. In this context it has been suggested by some that the European Union should embrace the Christian values that underpin its national traditions and cultures. I shall argue that, instead of relying on a communitarian vision of a ‘Christian Europe’, a European identity should build on a culture of religious tolerance. A European culture of religious tolerance draws on the enduring of difference and the acknowledgement of persisting and intractable conflict as essential experiences of Europe’s Christian past. Thus understood, tolerance lies at the roots of a European identity. At the same time, and through the conditional inclusion of religious diversity in the European nation-states, a European culture of religious tolerance creates over time new commonalities between Europe’s religiously permeated national traditions. Thus understood, tolerance only brings about the conditions for the development of a genuine European identity that amounts to more than (the sum of) its national counterparts.

Based on the analysis of interviews with young Muslim women in South Australia, and the analysis of two daily newspapers, The Australian and The Advertiser, this thesis looks at themes of religious racism, representation, identity, and resistance to racism. This thesis offers critiques of existing terminology used to describe negativity and hostility based on religious affiliation. It also offers strong arguments for the use of new terminology : religious racism. This thesis argues that the lived experiences of young Muslim women in South Australia are fraught with this racism. It argues that claims of a 'secular' society mask the continuing influence of a Christian heritage and assist in the subordination of religious minorities, particularly Muslims. Following similar research in other contexts, this thesis argues that the news media in Australia ( especially newspapers ) plays a significant role in the ( re ) production of religious racism, primarily through the repeated use of negative representations and stereotypes of Muslims. A number of textual strategies are utilised in this process such as the use of negatively loaded words ( eg 'terrorist' or 'fanatics' ), the types of photographs used, and the kinds of stories deemed newsworthy. Numerous examples of such racism are presented in the discourse analysis of representations of Muslims and Islam in the two newspapers. This thesis also addresses the direct impact of such representations on the participants in the study. Although this thesis presents a number of narratives of religious racism as experienced by the women...

Public diplomacy presents a unique challenge to the Syrian Arab Republic, whose public image in the international arena has been tarnished in a post-9/11 climate where 'Middle East' is all too often synonymous in Western media with 'lslamist extremism', 'radicalism', 'intolerance'. Attempts by the Syrian government and its embassies overseas to counter negative perceptions have largely centered on one of Syria's key strengths: its significant cultural and historical tradition. To this end, Syria has been promoted as a 'Cradle of Civilisation', with emphasis placed on its scenic landscapes, as well as historical and archaeological landmarks. While this has been important in advancing a more positive image of Syria in the international domain, there is scope to build on these efforts in order to further Syria's interests overseas. This paper examines one aspect of Syrian society that defies existing negative perceptions: its thriving Christian population. It raises the question: can the religious tolerance enjoyed by Syrian Christians under a secular framework of government be used as a public diplomacy tool to enhance Syria's international reputation? Syrian Christians constitute roughly 10 per cent of a country characterised by significant religious and ethnic diversity. Along with Sunni Muslims that represent the majority of Syria (74 per cent)...

Partindo de algumas das polêmicas opiniões de Bento XVI, o artigo busca compreender a base doutrinária delas e discutir os seus efeitos para a questão da tolerância religiosa. Depois de uma apresentação do que entende por tolerância, propõe um percurso através da encíclica Deus caritas est, que embasa a nova doutrina papal numa interpretação particular da noção de "amor de Deus". Por fim, tenta-se mostrar como esse "amor", mediante uma ênfase exagerada da idéia de identidade, torna-se nos documentos papais um instrumento de combate a todas as diferenças, pondo a perder a possibilidade de convivência entre as religiões e, por conseqüência, semeando o fundamentalismo.; This article tries to comprehend the doctrinal base of some polemical assessments of Benedict XVI; discussing its effects on the issue of religious tolerance. After presenting what is understood to mean tolerance, it proposes a way through the encyclical letter Deus caritas est; in this letter, the new papal doctrine is founded on a particular interpretation of the notion of "God's love". Lastly, it intends to show how this "love", by an exaggerated emphasis on the idea of identity, becomes an instrument of fight against every difference, spoiling the possibility of a pacific relationship among the religions and...

As reflexões desenvolvidas neste trabalho não têm como objetivo apresentar uma exposição completa do pensamento lascasiano e, nem mesmo, uma análise de sua complexa personalidade. Nosso objetivo é estudar a idéia de ?tolerância? presente em sua Apologia e em seu De unico. Mais precisamente, o ?método tolerável? de conduzir os povos à verdadeira religião. E, ainda, ver como, pelo menos em suas linhas essenciais, a questão permeia grande parte de sua obra, sobretudo os tratados publicados a partir de 1551. Buscamos mostrar que, embora a tolerância seja, num primeiro momento, definida de forma negativa, isto é, como ?suportação?, no entanto é positiva e ativa. Positiva, enquanto implica uma apreciação favorável do universo indígena, sobretudo religioso. Ativa, enquanto parte de sua Apologia, ou seja, de um discurso que visa defender os índios das agressões dos colonizadores. Ademais, é ?tolerância? nos limites do cristianismo católico?; isto porque o discurso lascasiano é desenvolvido numa perspectiva missionária e visa mostrar o caminho, a melhor forma, o melhor ?método? para a comunicação da verdadeira religião. Nisto consiste, a novidade de Las Casas: seu pensamento não tem lugar contra, mas a partir de dentro do catolicismo...

Scopo del saggio è descrivere come trattatisti storici e politici italiani del Cinquecento hanno valutato la struttura politica dell’impero ottomano. In quanto Stato non cristiano, la Turchia poteva essere vista come una perfetta realizzazione delle idee di Machiavelli concernenti la logica interna dell’assolutismo, compresa la manipolazione pragmatica delle credenze religiose. Traiano Boccalini usa il modello politico ottomano per criticare l’apologia della tolleranza religiosa di Jean Bodin. Gli scrittori occidentali sono particolarmente interessati all’organizzazione dell’esercito turco, che sembra offrire un esempio vivente dell’applicabilità dei punti di vista machiavelliani.; The aim of the essay is to describe how Italian historians and political analysts of the sixteenth century appreased the political structure of the Osman empire. As a no Christian State, Turkey could be viewed as the perfect realization of Machiavellian ideas about the inner logic of absolutism, including pragmatic manipulation of religious beliefs. Traiano Boccalini employs the Osman political pattern in order to criticize Jean Bodin’s apology of religious tolerance. Western writers are especially interested on the organization of Turkish army...

Este artigo pontua os dados históricos da criação da ONU e posteriormente a elaboração da Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos, salientando que uma tem a face social e a outra focaliza o indivíduo. Discute a seguir a percepção da injustiça e as formas de se opor a ela, de resistência à opressão, a escolha pela ONU de 1995 como Ano Internacional da Tolerância diante da realidade de muitos conflitos étnicos e religiosos espalhados pelo mundo, para embasar a argumentação da necessidade de cooperação dos meios de comunicação, da escola, da ação responsável do Estado ao assumirem a defesa dos princípios da Tolerância. No final há a proposta de uma metodologia de trabalho para uma educação que desenvolva o sentido de respeito aos Direitos Humanos e à Tolerância entre os povos.; This article brings historical data about ONU creation and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, emphasizing the social face of the first and the individual predominance of the second. It is discussed the perception of injustice and the ways to oppose to it, the resistance to oppression, the choice made by ONU of 1995 as the International Year of Tolerance because the many ethnic and religious conflicts all over the world...

Este artigo pontua os dados históricos da criação da ONU e posteriormente a elaboração da Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos, salientando que uma tem a face social e a outra focaliza o indivíduo. Discute a seguir a percepção da injustiça e as formas de se opor a ela, de resistência à opressão, a escolha pela ONU de 1995 como Ano Internacional da Tolerância diante da realidade de muitos conflitos étnicos e religiosos espalhados pelo mundo, para embasar a argumentação da necessidade de cooperação dos meios de comunicação, da escola, da ação responsável do Estado ao assumirem a defesa dos princípios da Tolerância. No final há a proposta de uma metodologia de trabalho para uma educação que desenvolva o sentido de respeito aos Direitos Humanos e à Tolerância entre os povos.; This article brings historical data about ONU creation and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, emphasizing the social face of the first and the individual predominance of the second. It is discussed the perception of injustice and the ways to oppose to it, the resistance to oppression, the choice made by ONU of 1995 as the International Year of Tolerance because the many ethnic and religious conflicts all over the world...

Esse texto expõe, nas suas várias etapas, a dinâmica das diversas expressões de religiosidade, observadas pela autora desde 1988 em vários assentamentos do Estado de São Paulo. A análise é feita em três níveis: individual/familial, por meio das entrevistas interpessoais que permitiram coletar os projetos de vida e as crenças religiosas diversas nas quais esses se inscrevem; comunitário, mediante a observação das atividades e iniciativas coletivas geradas por alguns assentados; socio-cultural, com base na participação em celebrações e rituais ecumênicos entre várias religiões. Esse percurso no tempo põe em evidência o entrelaçamento incessante de parte dos assentados entre os campos religioso e político. De outro lado, observa-se nesse universo que pode já ser qualificado de "rurbano" - numa sociedade supostamente cada vez mais individualista e fragmentada - a forte vontade de uma maioria dos integrantes para renovar ou reconstruir os laços comunitários e para promover a tolerância religiosa, bastante abalada ao longo dos vinte últimos anos nos meios urbanos.; This text shows, in its many stages, the dynamic of the several expressions of religiosity, observed by the author since 1988 in various settlements of the state of São paulo. The analysis was made out in three levels: individual/familiar...

This paper analyzes two different philosophical approaches that legal systems of liberal democracies can adopt in order to address problems related to religious matters: tolerance and respect. Thus, in the first part of this paper, the conceptual difference between the tolerance principle and the respect principle concerning legal issues involving conscience matters is examined. Then, the rules concerning religious liberty in the Brazilian legal system are analyzed for the purpose of verifying which of these two principles is adopted. Finally, this article concludes that the Brazilian legal system adopts the principle of respect for the faculty to search for the ultimate end of life and that the State has the duty to provide adequate conditions for individuals to autonomously exercise such faculty, so that all citizens can participate in the public sphere on equal conditions.; Neste artigo são examinadas duas possíveis abordagens filosóficas que ordenamentos jurídicos de democracias liberais podem adotar quando se trata de solucionar problemas jurídicos envolvendo questões religiosas: a tolerância ou o respeito. Assim, na primeira parte é realizada uma análise crítica sobre a diferença entre o princípio da tolerância e o do respeito no que se refere ao tratamento legal de questões de consciência. A seguir...

A fieldwork study of Duke University aims to show how identity functions in an environment whose ideal is perfect tolerance and the experience of students who want to practice their religion as a college student, touching on issues of gender and sexuality as well. College students and their use of humor are analyzed to reflect on how tolerance can create tension between groups, and how people deal with these tensions through their jokes. American colleges utilize a policy of tolerance in order to decrease tension between different groups which are reflected in the jokes that students make, whereas in Turkey similar tensions are the subject of current public and legal discussions. A discussion of the definition and attitudes about tolerance in Turkey and the United States reflects on how the different societies have come to accept different definitions of tolerance. The citizens of modern nation states are expected to be liberal subjects who make rational decisions, free from the effects of things like religion. However, this expectation is not always true. Tolerance is one of the ways used to deal with this contradiction, but instead of promoting understanding, it can perpetuate a cycle where communities of people grow more distant from each other. Tolerance is a policy existent around the world...

The design of educational institutions has long been seen as a key element in determining social divisions. This article examines the long-term impact of separate and integrated education on relations between the two religious communities (Catholics and Protestants) in Northern Ireland. Using a large-scale survey, the results suggest that in comparison to their previously separate counterparts, individuals who attended an integrated school are more likely to be understanding and respectful of the culture and traditions of others. The finding holds even after a range of background characteristics are taken into account. The results have implications for the role of segregated educational institutions in ameliorating religious, ethnic or racial division in other post-conflict societies. The Northern Ireland evidence suggests that a segregated school system rather than ameliorating intolerance and division may end up exacerbating and reinforcing it.

Voltaire's militancy in favor of religious toleration is well-known. But he seems to be concerned by its practical results, the rehabilitation of those religiously persecuted,  rather than by the theorectical reasonings to convince his opponents. That can be seen in the few importance given to argumentation in the Traité sur la tolerance, mostly composed by historical examples of violence caused by religious fanaticism. However, in Voltaire we find real philosophical reflection on tolerance, but the author finds it inneficient to convince his contemporaries, who are more inclined to accept the presentation of matters of fact rather than the discussion of matters of right. But Voltaire does not limit his comments to facts, he knows that philosophy and law have something to say about tolerance, and that theory influences on and is influenced by practices. So that Voltaire's reflections on tolerance are not limited only to practical positions adopted to defend some individuals from religious persecution, his positions have to be understood also at its theorectical level, for at this level he is also original and gives no concessions, which separates him from his English masters such as John Locke.; A militância de Voltaire em favor da tolerância parece um truísmo...

O objetivo do presente estudo foi conhecer em que medida e direção os valores humanos se correlacionam com o preconceito religioso. Porém, previamente demandou-se construir e conhecer evidências de validade da Escala de Tolerância Religiosa (ETR). Participaram da pesquisa 200 estudantes do ensino médio de uma escola pública de João Pessoa (PB), com idade média de 17 anos (dp = 2,12), a maioria do sexo feminino (58%). Estes responderam a ETR, o Questionário dos Valores Básicos e perguntas demográficas. Os resultados indicaram correlação negativa entre as subfunções valorativas experimentação e suprapessoal com as pontuações do fator geral de preconceito religioso. Por outro lado, observou-se correlação positiva entre estas pontuações e a frequência com que os jovens participavam de atividades de sua igreja. Estes resultados foram discutidos levando em conta a concepção clássica do preconceito, destacando a importância da teoria funcionalista dos valores para explicá-lo. Finalmente, ressalta-se a importância do ensino religioso como uma alternativa para amenizar este tipo de preconceito.; This study aimed to understand the extent and direction of the human values are correlated with religious prejudice. However...

In recent years, schools and education authorities world wide have been paying increasing attention to issues surrounding diversity and religious (in)tolerance. The term 'tolerance' is, however, clouded by considerable confusion and vagueness. This article seeks to contribute to recent scholarly attempts at understanding (religious) tolerance and the term that denotes it. After a brief semantic analysis of the term 'tolerance', arguments concerning the onticity of tolerance as phenomenon or entity are discussed. By examining its onticity we explore and explain some of the essential features of tolerance. The article ends with a brief discussion of some of the implications of our examination that we foresee for (religion) education.

Societies are changing rapidly, and in many countries there is an ongoing debate on the role of multiculturalism and religious diversity. REDCo, an international comparative research project set out to investigate whether developing ideas on multiculturalism and religious diversity influenced school pupils' views on these issues. A South Africa project was conducted to understand how learners experienced religious diversity within a new approach to religious education in South Africa. To answer the research question, the REDCo II questionnaire was used in Catholic schools. The descriptive study revealed that learners are generally positive towards the role and function of religion in schools. This indicates that Catholic schools are approaching religious education from a multi-faith perspective where teaching about other religions does not threaten the identity of the Catholic schools. Further research of qualitative nature is required to deepen the findings and to formulate theoretical and practical approaches to teaching religion education for use in religious schools.

The cohesion of our multicultural societies depends on mutual understanding, engaging proactively in co-operation between different communities and respecting one another. This paper deals with the educational philosophy ofa well-known Turkish Islamic scholar, Fethullah Gülen and its application to schools in Nigeria. Gülen- inspired schools in Nigeria are peace islands in the ocean of violence, and promote love, greater empathy, tolerance and peace in a society deeply divided along ethnic, religious, tribal and geograph ical lines. Following Gülen's example, the schools promote respect for other cultures and the trains of thought of various well-known scholars. Students, throughout their education, learn to appreciate other faiths, ethnicities and cultures, as well as their own. This article reports on a 2010 qualitative field study conducted at the Nigerian Turkish International Colleges (NTICs) in Abuja, Nigeria. In this qualitative inquiry, the researchers used observations, in- depth individual interviews and focus groups to elicit the lived experience of four identified groups of stakeholders (administrators, teachers, students and parents). Participants in this study comprised 22 adults, of which 9 were females and 13 males...